8 practical tips to save on your children’s back-to-school expenses
29 de August, 2022
Back to school is always a challenging time, for kids and adults alike. For the little ones it can mean entering a new school, meeting new classmates and teachers, taking on new subjects and adopting different routines.
For parents, the challenge lies in managing all these expectations of their children and, at the same time, planning well for the expenses that lie ahead: books, school supplies, clothes…
Do you want to know some strategies for saving money this back-to-school season? Join us to discover 8 practical tips.
1 – Reuse material left over from previous years
Before making a list of necessary school supplies, it’s important to see what you already have around the house that can be put to good use. There are always pens that still write, pencil cases that haven’t been used, notebooks or binders that haven’t yet been opened and other specific items that, if they’re in good condition, you don’t need to buy every year (backpacks, folders, drawing materials, etc.).
Even if your children insist on having everything new, make them aware of the importance of reusing these materials.
2 – Make a list
Once you’ve figured out what you already have at home, make a list of what you really need to buy. And what you really need to buy is everything that is indispensable and not more superfluous or secondary items. At this point, it’s important that you include your children and that you find a balance of what is essential together.
Set an amount you’re willing to spend to buy what’s on the list and try to stick to that budget when you start shopping.
3 – Take advantage of promotions
During the back-to-school period, many stores run promotional campaigns with discounts on various items. However, you should only take advantage of these discounts if they apply to the items on your shopping list. Avoid buying items that your children don’t need just because they’re on sale.
4 – Favor own-label brands
We know that this tip may require some negotiation with your children, but using white label items will also help you save money. Once again, try to explain to them that certain fast-wearing items don’t need to be branded.
At the same time, pay attention to the quality of the materials. For example, a more expensive backpack may be more resistant and durable, while a cheaper one may not be of such high quality and will need to be replaced more quickly.
5 – Compare prices
Before you buy the products on your list, compare the prices in different stores. Look at the flyers and do some research on the internet. Some stores also often have exclusive online promotions. Analyze whether it’s more worthwhile to order online, even if you pay postage, or to go to the physical store.
6 – Use free textbooks
Until a few years ago, the cost of school textbooks accounted for a large chunk of families’ back-to-school budgets. But now all pupils attending compulsory school have access to textbooks free of charge.
To request your vouchers for textbooks, all you need to do is register on the MEGA platform or sign up for the Edu Rede Escolar mobile app.
7 – Dilute purchases over time
If you don’t accumulate all your purchases at the same time and spread the expenses over time, it won’t cost you so much. What’s more, it can also allow you to take advantage of promotions that come up at other times of the year.
8 – Ask for an invoice and deduct the expenses from the IRS
This tip won’t give you immediate savings, but it could increase your tax refund next year. Each household can deduct 30% of education expenses up to a limit of 800€ per year.
Expenses related to the payment of crèches, kindergartens, schools, school books, school cafeteria food, tutoring centers and others can be deducted from the IRS. See this information in more detail on Portal das Finanças.
Have you adopted any of these back-to-school strategies for your children? Are there any other strategies you use? Tell us all about it!
You already know that the Euroticket Creche is used to pay for childcare costs and the Euroticket Estudante to pay for education and training costs. If you have any of them, see where you can use them and take advantage of these benefits to cover these costs.
Starting from July 2023, Euroticket benefits have been renamed Edenred.